Interview with Xubai Li

The initial spark came in my childhood when I saw a Henry Moore sculpture. I was moved by its tenderness and spatial serenity. It was more than emotional expression; there was a strong presence of design and editorial intuition that showed me the crossed paths of art and design. This internal drive to bridge conceptual presence with physical objects naturally led me to where I am today.

My style is visually minimalistic but conceptually complex. I prioritize the play of space, the trick of hide-and-seek, and the subtlety of unbalanced composition so that an object holds attention past the first glance. Technically, I rely heavily on digital fabrication. I use 3D modeling and 3D printing to fabricate testing samples at smaller scales to perfect the visual elegance and ratio before full production.

During the creation phase, I feel a sense of "spiraling"—it is an intense, descending immersion into a concept. Conversely, the moment a design is fully realized and I see the physical object, I feel it is a moment to learn. Reality always teaches me about the discrepancy between imagination and physical creation.

My cultural heritage from China has profoundly shaped me, not through overt visual symbols, but as an ideology. As detailed in my thesis, Out of Consumption Out of Context Into Recursion, I use my culture as comparative literature against Western design progressions like modernism and postmodernism. Furthermore, I draw heavy inspiration from other disciplines outside my own, particularly fashion.

Work in a multidisciplinary style. Treat art and design together. As AI and machine learning continue to master isolated physical tasks, being a one-trick pony will leave you at the mercy of industrial powers. The true scarcity in human design is the ability to draw abstract, conceptual links between random disciplines.

My biggest pro-tip is to embrace resting and choosing not to create. The mind and body are a whole being. If you keep the bow pulled tightly at all times, the tension will fade and the elasticity will die out. Let go of the idea that you must create 24/7.

A typical day mainly involves dealing with ongoing work, testing phases, and manufacturer requests. However, I deliberately reserve a small pocket of time simply to "wonder" about random things. These wandering moments accumulate and inevitably lead to richer creative outcomes.

I don't rely on fleeting seasonal trends. Instead, I draw inspiration from deeper cultural ideologies, comparative literature, and other disciplines (like avant-garde fashion). True creativity lies in multidisciplinary approaches, not just reflecting what is hip at the moment.

Good design is defined by a sense of unity—specifically the union between form and function, and/or the union between expression and execution. I know a design is successful when it is something I can ruminate over, whether it is a small detail to analyze or a larger conceptual message to chew on.

My favorite and most prominent piece so far is a switch light called "Turn on Light." It is a straightforward answer to deconstructing a design trope, and it carries a distinct formal similarity to Maison Margiela's work, bridging my love for fashion with object-making.

My favorite and most prominent piece so far is a switch light called "Turn on Light." It is a straightforward answer to deconstructing a design trope, and it carries a distinct formal similarity to Maison Margiela's work, bridging my love for fashion with object-making.

I am currently based in the US. The cultural heritage of my home country weaves into my lifestyle and work conceptually. While few people may fully understand my tie to my culture in the context of metamodernism, those who are drawn to it understand exactly what I want to express and offer their time generously.

The intersection of art and design. Seeing a Henry Moore sculpture as a child showed me the tenderness, spatial serenity, and editorial intuition that art and object-making can hold.

It was a natural choice stemming from that early childhood realization.

I design objects that occupy space with a conceptual presence, balancing visual minimalism with complex concepts.

I design objects that occupy space with a conceptual presence, balancing visual minimalism with complex concepts.

A great designer has the ability to draw abstract, conceptual, and creational links between and among random disciplines, rather than just mastering an isolated physical skill.

A sense of unity—the union between form and function, and/or expression and execution. It must be something to ruminate over.

Resting and choosing not to create. Keeping the mind and body's elasticity by not treating it like a constantly pulled bow.

Henry Moore and Maison Margiela.

Shao Fan's chair in the MET. It carries out the idea of unity perfectly.

A switch light called "Turn on Light." It is a straightforward answer to deconstructing a design trope and carries a distinct formal similarity to Margiela's work.

Learn from the art of reality. Embrace the realization that there is always a discrepancy between imagination and physical creation, and use that as a learning moment.

Probably a lawyer or some profession related to the law or PR.

It is a discipline where art and design must be treated together, requiring an ideological and multidisciplinary approach.

I would thank my parents and my long time friends.

Reserving time to just "wonder." Those wandering moments accumulate and lead to richer outcomes.

To leave behind an authentic, original legacy.

Yes. Even the smallest things people see on the road have been designed by someone at a certain place in time.

A shift away from isolated professions and one-trick ponies, moving toward multidisciplinary abstraction.

With AI harvesting data to perfect mechanical and physical tasks, isolated professions will fall into the hands of industrial powers. Human design will survive through multidisciplinary, abstract synthesis.

It heavily depends on the testing phase (which I control) and manufacturing lead times (which I do not).

I begin with digital fabrication, specifically 3D modeling.

I begin with digital fabrication, specifically 3D modeling.

By rigorously fabricating testing samples in smaller scales to study visual elegance and ratio before full production.

The seeds were planted early when I was deeply moved by the spatial serenity of Henry Moore's sculptures.

I work mainly by myself, while maintaining personal connections with several studios and factories back home.

Design is a balance between art and function—it is a discipline that requires multidisciplinary approaches, uniting form, function, expression, and execution.

I enjoy making objects that occupy space with a conceptual presence. My style is visually minimalistic but conceptually complex.

My favorite from my own work so far is a switch light called "Turn on Light." It is a very straightforward answer to deconstructing a design trope, and it carries a distinct formal similarity to Maison Margiela's work, drawing inspiration from fashion design.

I am mostly drawn to digital fabrication processes like 3D modeling and 3D printing to create and test scaling samples.

Ironically, I feel the most creative when I am resting and choosing not to create. The mind and body are a whole being. You cannot keep a bow pulled tightly at all times, or the tension will fade and the elasticity will die out. Letting go of the idea that I "must" create allows me to recharge.

I focus heavily on visual elegance and ratio, the play of space, the trick of hide-and-seek, and the subtlety of unbalanced compositions. This ensures a minimalist object holds attention past the first glance.

I feel a sense of "spiraling" when I am creating things. It isn't a plain and simple feeling, but spiraling is the most accurate word to describe that intense descent into a concept.

When I see the fully realized object, I usually feel it is a moment to learn. The art of reality always teaches me the discrepancy between imagination and physical creation.

A truly successful design is something I would ruminate over, whether it is a small detail to analyze or a conceptual message to chew on.

I judge based on a sense of unity—the union between form and function, and/or the union between expression and execution.

With the emergence of AI, machine learning will eventually master physical and isolated tasks, much like what happened during the Industrial Revolution. The future of human design lies in multidisciplinary approaches and the ability to draw abstract, conceptual links between random disciplines.

It was Collectible Brussels 2026. I would want to have more opportunities in Europe.

I draw inspiration from my cultural background, artists from other disciplines (like fashion), and resting. Resting is the most important way I feed my creativity.

Visually minimalistic but conceptually complex. I utilize the play of space, hide-and-seek elements, and unbalanced compositions so the piece remains engaging.

I am based in the US. My cultural heritage from China acts as an ideology rather than overt symbols (like yin/yang). As detailed in my thesis, Out of Consumption Out of Context Into Recursion, my culture acts as comparative literature to Western design progressions (modernism/postmodernism), placing metamodernism in conversation with ancient Chinese texts. The pros and cons are two sides of the same coin: few people truly understand my cultural ties, but those who are drawn to it understand my expression and offer their time generously.

A typical day consists of dealing with ongoing work and requests, but I intentionally reserve time to just "wonder" about random things. I cherish these wandering moments because they accumulate and lead to a richer creative outcome.

Work in a multidisciplinary style. Treat art and design together. Don't be a one-trick pony.

The ability to draw abstract, conceptual, and creational links between random disciplines.

I manage my time by ensuring I don't force constant creation. I schedule time to wonder, and I embrace rest so my mind retains its "elasticity."

The time frame heavily depends on the testing phase (which I can control) and the manufacturing lead times (which rely on the good faith of the manufacturers).

Through my website and email: www.xubai.design and xubai.design@gmail.com